BJP supporters protest rumour about Vajpayee's death

Published: Monday, February 9, 2009, 21:14 [IST]

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Mysore (Karnataka), Feb.9 (ANI): Angry Bharatiya Janata Party supporters protested here on Saturday against the Deputy Commissioner Manivannan for allegedly making a false announcement about the death of former prime minister and BJP leader Atal Behari Vajpayee this past week.

The false information caused a lot of confusion here recently after some farmer leaders, led by one Kurbur Shantakumar, arrived at the Deputy Commissioner's office for a scheduled meeting last week.

As Manivannan, the Deputy Commissioner (DC), was not in the office, Kurbur Shantakumar visited the former at his residence.

After meeting the DC, Shantakumar told farmers that the meeting stood cancelled, as the DC had informed him that the ailing former prime minister Vajpayee was died. He held a condolence meeting too.

Manivannan, however, clarified to media persons that on that day he was on off for being unwell, and thus, he asked Shantakumar to visit him at his residence to discuss the issue.

"I was talking over phone about the former PM's health condition with an official, who informed me that Vajpayee's condition had worsened. I asked the district administration to be on guard. But the farmer's leader, who was with me when I was speaking over phone, picked up my conservation and later told his supporters that the former PM was dead. I've clarified to him that there is no official communication. But he has misled his supporters."

Meanwhile, Shantakumar through a press release has expressed regret over the whole incident. But he still maintains that it was the district administration which actually misled him. "When I asked about the cancellation of the meeting, I was informed that Vajpayee ji has died," the release stated without him mentioning the exact person's name who said it to him. (ANI)